Holiday Pay Calculator UK
Work out a week’s holiday pay using the method that fits your working pattern. The calculator covers fixed weekly pay, the 52-week average used for irregular and part-year work, and 12.07% rolled-up holiday pay.
Calculate holiday pay
This is an informational estimate. Contractual holiday schemes can be more generous, and unusual pay arrangements may need a payroll or employment-law review.
In short: if your hours and pay are fixed, a week of holiday normally matches a normal week’s pay. If you are an irregular-hours or part-year worker using the reference-period method, holiday pay is based on average pay from paid weeks. Rolled-up holiday pay is a separate 12.07% method for eligible irregular-hours and part-year workers.
How holiday pay works in the UK
Holiday entitlement and holiday pay are related, but they are not the same calculation. Entitlement tells you how much time off you have. Holiday pay tells you what you should be paid while taking that time off.
Workers are entitled to a week’s pay for each week of statutory leave they take. The way that “a week’s pay” is worked out depends on the worker’s hours and pay pattern.
For regular-hours workers, current rules also distinguish between the first 4 weeks of statutory leave and the remaining 1.6 weeks. Relevant elements such as regular overtime, commission and certain status-related payments must be included in at least the first 4 weeks at the worker’s “normal” rate. An employer can choose to use the same normal-pay approach for the full 5.6 weeks.
If you are trying to work out how many days or hours of leave you have rather than what the leave is worth, use the Holiday Entitlement Calculator.
Which holiday pay method should you use?
Start with the way the worker actually works and is paid. That matters more than whether the job is described as full-time, part-time or casual.
| Working pattern | Typical calculation | Use this calculator mode |
|---|---|---|
| Regular hours + fixed pay | A normal week’s pay. | Regular hours + fixed pay |
| Regular hours + variable pay | Average hourly rate over the relevant 52-week period, applied to average weekly fixed hours. | Regular hours + variable pay |
| Irregular-hours / part-year | Average pay over the previous 52 paid weeks, looking back further if needed. | 52-week average |
| Irregular-hours / part-year with rolled-up pay | At least 12.07% of pay in each pay period, shown separately. | Rolled-up holiday pay |
The 52-week holiday pay reference period
The 52-week method is designed for workers whose pay does not stay the same from week to week. The basic idea is simple: use the most recent 52 weeks in which the worker was actually paid, then average the relevant pay across those weeks.
If there are unpaid weeks, the employer should normally skip them and look further back. The look-back can go as far as 104 weeks to find 52 usable paid weeks. If the worker has not built up 52 usable weeks, the average is based on the complete paid weeks that are available.
What should be included in “normal” holiday pay?
Holiday pay is meant to reflect what a worker normally earns, not only the most basic line on a payslip. Current guidance says normal pay can include payments linked to contractual tasks, regular overtime, commission and payments connected with length of service, seniority or professional qualifications.
| Pay element | General treatment |
|---|---|
| Basic salary / hourly pay | Included. |
| Regular overtime | Included where it has been regularly paid. |
| Commission linked to contractual work | Included in normal pay. |
| Length-of-service / seniority / qualification payments | Included where relevant. |
| Bonus payments | Not automatically included. Treatment depends on the nature of the bonus. |
| Expense reimbursement | Normally not part of holiday pay because it is reimbursement rather than earnings. |
The exact treatment can depend on the worker’s contract and the nature of the payment, so a complicated bonus or commission structure may need a closer payroll review.
Rolled-up holiday pay: the 12.07% method
Rolled-up holiday pay spreads holiday pay across the year instead of paying it when leave is taken. It is available for irregular-hours workers and part-year workers, not regular-hours workers.
Where an employer uses rolled-up holiday pay, the amount must be at least 12.07% of the worker’s total pay in the pay period, paid at the same time as their normal pay and shown separately on the payslip.
The 12.07% method is not simply a replacement for every holiday-pay calculation. If you work regular hours, your employer cannot use rolled-up holiday pay in this way.
Worked holiday pay examples
£620 a week, five fixed days
A normal week of holiday is £620. As a simple day-rate guide, £620 ÷ 5 = £124 per normal working day.
£18,500 across 44 paid weeks
£18,500 ÷ 44 = about £420.45 for an average week. The unpaid weeks are not added to the divisor.
£26,000 across 1,924 hours
Average hourly rate ≈ £13.51. At 37 average fixed weekly hours, a week’s pay is about £499.99.
£750 earned this pay period
£750 × 12.07% = £90.53 rolled-up holiday pay, paid separately on top of normal earnings.
A 2026 change employers should know about
Employers must keep detailed records showing compliance with annual-leave and holiday-pay obligations, and those records must be kept for at least 6 years. This makes it more important to keep a clear record of leave taken, pay calculations and any carry-over.
Common holiday pay mistakes
- ✕Dividing by 52 when fewer than 52 paid weeks are available. The reference period uses paid weeks, not automatic zero-pay weeks.
- ✕Using basic pay when normal pay should include regular earnings. Regular overtime or commission can matter.
- ✕Using rolled-up holiday pay for a regular-hours worker. The 12.07% rolled-up option is for irregular-hours and part-year workers.
- ✕Confusing holiday entitlement with holiday pay. The number of days or hours owed is a different calculation from the value of that leave.
- ✕Forgetting that regular-hours workers can have variable pay. Fixed hours do not always mean fixed weekly earnings.
What if your holiday pay looks wrong?
Start with the payslip, your contract and the employer’s holiday policy. Check which working pattern they have used, which weeks went into any reference period, and whether regular overtime or commission has been left out.
If the figures still do not make sense, raise the calculation with the employer or payroll team and ask them to explain the method. Acas also publishes current guidance on holiday pay and how to raise a pay problem. Legal time limits can be short, so do not leave an unresolved underpayment indefinitely.
Holiday Pay Calculator FAQs
Is holiday pay the same as normal pay?
For someone with regular hours and fixed pay, a week of holiday will normally match a normal week’s pay. If pay varies, the rules can require an average or the inclusion of regular payments such as overtime or commission.
Does overtime count towards holiday pay?
Regular overtime can count as part of normal holiday pay. For most regular-hours workers, relevant normal-pay elements must be included in at least 4 weeks of statutory leave. For irregular-hours and part-year workers, relevant normal pay applies across their statutory leave.
Does commission count towards holiday pay?
Commission linked to tasks required under the contract can form part of normal holiday pay. If commission is a significant part of earnings, make sure it is not omitted from the relevant pay data.
What if I have fewer than 52 paid weeks?
Use the complete paid weeks available. Employers can look back up to 104 weeks to find 52 usable paid weeks, but if fewer are available the reference period is shortened.
Do weeks with no pay count as £0?
No. For a 52-week reference-period calculation, unpaid weeks are generally skipped and earlier paid weeks are used instead, up to the 104-week look-back limit.
Can holiday pay be rolled into my hourly rate?
Rolled-up holiday pay can be used for irregular-hours and part-year workers under the current rules. It must be at least 12.07% of pay, paid with normal pay and shown separately. It is not permitted for regular-hours workers.
Why are there 4 weeks and 1.6 weeks in the rules?
UK statutory leave is 5.6 weeks for most workers, but the pay rules for regular-hours workers distinguish between 4 weeks that must be paid at the normal rate and the remaining 1.6 weeks that may be paid at the basic rate. Some employers choose to pay the normal rate for all 5.6 weeks.
Is this calculator the same as a holiday entitlement calculator?
No. This calculator estimates what holiday time is worth in pay. The Holiday Entitlement Calculator works out how much leave is due in days or hours.
Is holiday pay taxed?
Holiday pay is earnings and is normally processed through payroll in the same way as wages, with the usual deductions that apply to the worker.
Sources and review notes
We use official guidance as the starting point and keep the calculator’s assumptions visible so the result can be checked rather than treated as a black box.
Working-pattern rules, 52-week average, normal/basic rate and rolled-up holiday pay.
Practical guidance for fixed, variable and irregular-hours workers.